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Historically, apparatus designed to iron, steam or press hats have been large and cumbersome commercial machinery that are both expensive and not intended to be transported easily. Due to the costs of such commercial machinery, professionals generally use them in either the manufacture of hats or the business of maintenance or repairing of hats.
There are many caps or hats, such as baseball caps, that while valued by their owners are relatively inexpensive. Thus, it is generally not cost effective to bring a baseball cap, or the like, to a professional for cleaning or maintenance. Most people who even bother to try to clean such a hat will do so either manually or in a washing machine. However, these people are then faced with the dilemma of how to have the hat keep its shape after the cleaning and drying process. In other words, the hats tend to lose their desired shape and get wrinkled after being cleaned.
In order to solve this problem, various forms, clamps and other mechanical devices have been devised to stretch the caps or press their surfaces in an attempt to keep a desired shape. Such mechanical devises, while helping somewhat to maintain the intended form of the hats do not always eliminate wrinkles in the hat""s fabric.
While relatively inexpensive and portable steam irons are commonplace for use on traditional clothing, these devises do not work very well on contoured surfaces. These traditional household irons are intended to de-wrinkle fabric, using a flat support undersurface. Such a technique does not work very well for the rounded and spherical surfaces of a hat, particularly the crown or domed portion of the hat.
The present invention relates to a portable iron, press and steamer for hats. While this apparatus can be used on hats and other materials that can be ironed, pressed or steamed, it is particularly directed at steaming or pressing baseball caps.
The invention relates to an apparatus comprising two semi-spherical halves that are attached to two handles. The two semi-spheres are configured so that when they are made to touch one another, they form a complete sphere. Also, each semi-sphere is designed to include heated surfaces, which vent steam. These two semi-spherical halves are used for ironing, pressing and steaming a hat. Particularly, the outer surface of each semi-sphere contains numerous steam holes or vents. By placing the two semi-spheres inside the crown of a hat, the heated steaming curved surfaces can be used to steam or iron the inside of the hat. Further, the inner surfaces of the semi-spheres are designed to press or iron other portions of the hat such as the brim. By placing the brim between the inner sides of the two semi-spheres and then pressing the two semi-spherical halves toward one another, the inner surfaces act as a press. Similar to the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces can be heated and also contain numerous steam holes or vents, to add moist heat to the press.